Manufacture of shoes



March 16, 1937. BARON ET AL 2,073,725

MANUFACTURE OF SHOES 7 Filed Sept. 17, 193 5 Patented Mar. 16, 1937 UNITED s'rr MANUFACTURE OF SHOES Jersey Application September 17, 1935, Serial No. 40,963

20 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in shoes and methods of making them and is herein illustrated in its application to the manufacture of shoes having cement-attached outsoles and cement-lasted uppers. The present application is a continuation of our application for Letters Patent Serial No. 759,105, filed December 24, 1934, as to all subject-matter that is common to the two applications.

It is characteristic of many shoes having parts Which are secured together by cement, in accordance with methods heretofore practiced, that the cement when dry becomes hard and brittle with the result that the shoes are made stiff and uncomfortable, and it is one object of the present invention to avoid such an undesirable condition and to provide shoes having cement-attached parts which are capable of flexing freely, particularly'in the ball portion of the shoe bottom,

\ to accommodate the movements of the feet in walking and which are more comfortable and adapted to Wear longer than shoes as ordinarily made by any of the so-called cement processes heretofore employed.

With this object in view, the invention in one aspect provides an improved method of making shoes Which consists in securing together two shoe parts by means of an unbroken film of cement which is interposed between them and which may be of a character adapted to harden when dry and, after the film of cement has hardened, making a plurality of cuts therethrough thereby breaking up its continuity to facilitate the flexing of the parts secured together thereby. As herein exemplified, the marginal portion of the upper of a shoe is secured in overlastedposition upon an insole by means of a continuous stripe or band of dried or hardened cement, and a plurality of spaced transverse cuts are made through the overlasted margin of the upper at opposite sides of the ball portion of the shoe bottom, the cuts, herein shown as slots or grooves, extending also through the dried or hardened stripe or band of cement between the upper and the insole and penetrating a substantial distance into the substance of the insole. Thus, not only is the band of dried cement disrupted at int-ervals throughout its length by means of the cuts formed therein, but the overlasted margin of the upper and themarginal portion of the insole, both of which may be more or less impregnated with and stiffened by the cement, are cut into in such a manner as further to increase the flexibility of the shoe bottom. As illustrated, also, a continuous band or stripe of outsole-attaching cement of a character adapted to harden when dry is applied to the opposed surfaces of the overlasted margin of the upper and permitted to become dry and hard before the slots or grooves are formed so that the latter also extend through this band of sole-attaching cement, interrupting its continuity and effectively imparting flexibility thereto. This discontinuous stripe of outsole-attaching cement on the margin of the upper is activated or softened with a suitable solvent prior to the attachment of the outsole and, after the outsole has been attached and the attaching cement has become hardened, the grooves hereinbefore described provide internal channels in the shoe bottom which effectively render flexible that portion of the shoe bottom where they are located. The slots or grooves in the cement may be formed and arranged, if desired, so as to permit circulation of air in such a manner as to provide for ventilation of the shoe.

Considered in a broader aspect, the invention is concerned with securing increased flexibility in the forepart of the bottom of a shoe regardless of whether pyroxylin cement is used for lasting the upper and for attaching the outsole, and, in fact, regardless of how the upper is-lasted and the outsole attached. Looked at from this broader point of view, the invention provides an improvement, in methods of making shoes which consists in securing the marginal portion of a shoe upper in overlasted position upon an insole member, and thereafter forming a plurality of transverse slots or grooves extending entirely through the marginal portion of the upper at opposite sides of the ball of the shoe.

Invention is also to be recognized as residing in a shoe embodying novel features of construction resulting from the practice of our improved method. v

The invention will be explained with reference to the accompanying drawing, in which Fig. 1 is a fragmentary perspective view of a shoe in course of construction in accordance with our improved method, the shoe having a skeleton insole and being shown as it appears when ready to receive an outsole;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary perspective View of an outsole as it appears when ready to be applied to a shoe such as that shown. in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view of the forepart of a shoe constructed in accordance with our invention as the shoe appears after the outsole has been attached; and

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 1 but illustrating the application of our method to the manufacto the opening E2 in the insole.

" ture of a shoe having the usual full or non-skeletonized insole.

Referring first to Figs. 1 to 3 of the drawing,

the invention is therein illustrated in its applica- 5 tion to the manufacture of a shoe provided with by means of tacks 22, and an upper 24 is conformed to the last and its marginal portion 26 secured in overlasted position upon the insole by means of lasting cement, a stripe or band of which is interposed between the upper and the insole,

as indicated at 28 in Fig. 3. As herein shown,

the upper 24 comprises a layer of upper material 30, such as leather, and a lining 32, and the overlasted marginal portions of the leather and the lining are secured to each other by any suitable means, for example, by pyroxylin cement, or any usual kind of lasting cement as indicated at 34 in Fig. 3, or by such means as tacks or staples. If lasting cement is used, after it has dried or harde ened the overlasted marginal portion of the upper is prepared in the usual way for the cement attachment of an outsole to the shoe, and the exposed surface of the upper margin, after being first roughened, is then coated with pyroxylin or other suitable sole-attaching cement which is 35 allowed to dry or harden, thereby forming a hardened stripe or band of cement, such as that indicated at 36 in Fig. 1. The outsole I4 is prepared for attachment to the shoe by having its marginal portion roughened on its attaching face 40 and coated with cement of the same type as that applied to the upper, the same being permitted to dry or harden so that a hardened stripe or band of cement 38 (Fig. 2) is provided on the outsole. The hardened cement bands 36 and 38 on the shoe bottom and on the outsole, respectively, are activated by the application of a suitable solvent just prior to the application of the outsole to the shoe, after which these bands unite so as ultimately to form a single band or layer of hardened cement between the outsole and shoe bottom, as indicated at 40 in Fig. 3.

In accordance with the usual methods of attaching outsoles with cement the presence of a continuous band of hardened cement between the outsole and the shoe bottom tends to stiffen the shoe, a'condition which is particularly undesirable in the vicinity of the break line and the ball portion where the shoe should be capable of bending freely to accommodate the movements 0f the foot in walking. In cases where pyroxylin or other cement which becomes hard when dry is used for securing the upper in overlasted relation to the insole, the presence of one or more continuous bands of hardened lasting cement along the marginal portion of the shoe bottom likewise tends to stiffen the shoe unduly. Moreover, the cement penetrates more or less into the substance of the overlasted upper materials and also into the substance of the insole, thereby stiffening those parts appreciably and having a distinct tendency to produce undesirable stiffness, particularly in the ball portion of the shoe. Furthermore, regardless of the stiffening effect of the lasting and the sole-attaching cement, it is difiicult to secure the desired flexibility at or near the break line of the shoe bottom because of the laminated construction of the marginal portions of the shoe bottom where the overlasted upper materials are interposed between the insole and the outsole and rigidly secured to both soles.

As herein illustrated, in order to facilitate the production of a shoe the bottom of which is flexible in the vicinity of its ball portion, a plurality of transverse cuts such, for example, as grooves 42 are formed in spaced apart relation the opposite marginal portions of the forepart of the shoe bottom after the band of sole-attaching cement 36 has been applied and has become hardened.

The slots or grooves in the shoe bottom may be formed in any desired manner, for example, by cutting with a suitable tool or machine and they may be of any desired shape or size con sistent with the purposes here involved. For example, the cuts may be mere slits extending into or through the shoe bottom parts and the hardened cement and the cuts may be provided in any desired. number. As shown, however, the cuts are in the form of grooves which are substantially U-shaped in cross-section and the grooves preferably extend through the hardened band 36 of sole-attaching cement, through the entire thickness of the overlasted upper margin 26, through the bands or stripes 28 and 34 of lasting cement, and they penetrate a substantial distance into the substance of the insole. grooves 42 extend transversely of the shoe bottom and preferably they are long enough to extend substantially across the overlasted upper margin and nearly, if not entirely, across the opposite side portions of the skeletonized forepart of the insole. The grooves 42 are shown as terminating somewhat short of the outer edges of the shoe bottom so as not to be visible in the finished shoe, at least not to such an extent as to detract from the appearance of the shoe.

After the slots or grooves 42 have been formed as described, the hardened bands or stripes of cement on the overlasted margin of the upper and on the outsole are activated, as already indicated, by the application thereto of a suitable solvent, for example, acetone, and thereafter the outsole is applied under pressure as by means of a sole-attaching press in a Well-known manner, the sole-attaching pressure being maintained until the cement has set.

Because of the presence of the grooves or slots 46 which, after the outsole has been attached provide hidden internal channels or slits in the marginal portion of the bottom of the finished shoe, the continuity of each of the hardened bands of cement is interrupted and the cementiinpregn-ated upper and insole margins are cut into or broken up at intervals along opposite sides of the ball portion of the shoe bottom so as effectively to impart flexibility to the composite shoe bottom structure. The presence of the grooves or cuts also eliminates liability of cracking or disintegrating of the cement at difierent points along the margin of the shoe bottom in such a manner as to weaken unduly the bond between the shoe bottom and the outsole and that between the overlasted upper and the insole and thus the life of the shoe is lengthened. The internal channels or slits in the shoe bottom re sulting from the presence of the grooves or cuts 42 constitute passages through which air may pass to and from the exterior of the shoe so as to provide for ventilation of the shoe. If desired, the grooves may be made deeper or more numerous so as to render the shoe bottom more flexible As illustrated, the 9 and to provide for better ventilation of the shoe.

The increase intheflexibility of the shoe bottom, particularly at the ball portion thereof, renders the shoe much more comfortable to the wearer while at the same time the life of the shoe is lengthened by obviating the objectionable cracking of the cement. By means of this invention there is obtained, in a cemented shoe; at least as much flexibility as in a stitched or sewn shoe, While at the same time the various desirable characteristics of. cemented shoes are retained.

In Fig. 4 the invention is illustrated in its applicationto a shoe having the usual full or nonskeletonized insole I to which a shoe upper 240 is-attached. In this case the cuts or grooves (12f! may be formed in substantially the same manner as already described in connection with Fig: 1 or they may be made So as to extend entirely across the innersole, as indicated by dotted lines 422, or they may be formed of any desired length. Otherwise the application of our invention to a shoe of this type is substantially the same as hereinbefore described.

While, as above described, the invention is particularly applicable to. the manufacture of shoes in which pyroxylin cement, or other cement which becomes hard when dry, is employed for attaching the outsoles and securing the uppers in overlasted positions upon the insoles, it is to be understood that increased flexibility in the foreparts of the shoe bottoms may be obtained irrespective of the particular kind of cement used in either the lasting or outsole attaching operations. For example, it has been found that increased flexibility of the shoe'bottoms has been obtained in the practice of this improved method in the manufacture of shoes .in which the uppers are secured in lasted positions by such means as tacks or staples and the outsoles are attached by means of. stitches.

Having described our invention, what we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. That improvement in methods of making shoes which consists in securing together an insole and an upper by means of an unbroken film of cement interposed between said parts, the cement being of a character adapted to harden when dry, and, after the film of cement has hardened, cutting through the upper and into said film in a plurality of locations to facilitate flexing of the portions secured together by the cement.

2. That improvement in methods of making shoes which consists in securing together two 7 shoe parts by means of an unbroken filmof cement interposed between them, the cement being of a character adapted to harden when dry, and, after the cement has hardened, making a plurality of cuts through said film, thereby breaking up its continuity and facilitating flexing of the shoes 3. That improvement in methods of making shoes which consists in securing together the marginal portions of a shoe upper and a shoe bottom member by means of a continuous stripe of cement interposed between said parts, allowing allowing the cement to harden, andth'ereafter forming a plurality of grooves in the marginal portion of one of said parts, said grooves extending also into said stripe of hardened cement, thereby facilitating flexing of said shoe parts.

5. That improvement in methods of making shoes which consists in securing together the marginal portions of two shoe parts by means of a stripe of cement interposed between them and allowing the cement to harden, and thereafter forming a plurality of spaced transverse grooves in the marginal portion of one of said parts, said grooves extending also through said stripe of cement and into the marginal portion of the other shoe'part.

6. That-improvement in methods of making shoes which consists in securing the marginal portion of a shoe'upper in overlasted position upon an insole by means of lasting cement, and thereafter forming transverse grooves in the marginal portion of the shoe bottom, said grooves extending through the overlasted upper and through said stripe of cement and into the substance of the insole.

'7. That improvement in methods of making shoes which consists in securing the marginal portion of a shoe upper in overlastedposition upon an insole, applying a stripe of outsoleattaching cement to the exposed surface of the overlasted margin of the upper and allowing the cement to harden, and thereafter forming transverse grooves in the marginal portion of the shoe bottom, said grooves extending into the stripe of hardened sole-attaching cement and into the overlasted margin of the upper.

8. That improvement in methods of making shoes which consists in securing the marginal portion of a shoe upper in overlasted position upon an insole by means of lasting cement and allowing the cement to harden so that a stripe of hardened cement is interposed between the upper and the insole, applying a stripe of outsole-attaching cement to the exposed surface of the overlasted margin of the upper and allowing said stripe to harden, and thereafter forming trans- I I verse grooves in the marginal portion of the shoe bottom, said grooves extending through the stripe of outsole-attaching cement, and through the overlasted margin of the upper and through said stripe of lasting cement.

9. That improvement in methods of making shoes which consists in securing the marginal portion of a shoe upper in overlasted position upon an insole, applying a stripe of outsole-attaching cement to the overlasted margin of the upper and allowing it to harden, thereafter forming transverse grooves in the marginal portion of the shoe bottom, the grooves extending through said stripe of sole-attaching cement and into the overlasted margin of the upper, activating the sole-attaching cement and applying to the shoe an outsole having activated cement upon its marginal portion, and holding said outsole pressed against the shoe during the setting of the cement.

10. In a shoe, a shoe upper, and a shoe bottom member secured together by means of a stripe of hardened cement interposed between them, said stripe having a plurality of cuts extending through it, thereby breaking up its continuity and facilitating flexing of the shoe.

11. In a shoe, a shoe upper, and a shoe bottom member having their marginal portions secured together by means of a stripe of cement interposed between them, said marginal portion of the upper having a plurality of transverse cuts formed therein, said cuts extending also through said stripe of cement.

12. In a shoe, a shoe upper, and a shoe bottom member having their marginal portions secured together by means of a stripe of cement interposed between them, the marginal portion of said upper having a plurality of transverse grooves cut therein and said grooves extending also through said stripe of cement and into said shoe bottom member.

13. A shoe having a bottom comprising an insole, an outsole, and an upper margin inturned between said soles and secured in overlasted relation to the insole by a band of hardened lasting cement interposed between the insole and the upper margin, said upper margin and said band of cement each being severed at intervals throughout its length to facilitate flexing of the shoe bottom.

14. A shoe having a bottom comprising an insole, an inturned upper margin secured in overlasted relation to the insole by a band of hardened lasting cement interposed between the insole and the upper margin, and an outsole secured to said overlasted upper margin by a band of hardened sole-attaching cement, the shoe bottom being rendered flexible by having the continuity of said upper margin and of both said bands of cement interrupted by a plurality of transverse cuts extending also into said insole.

15. A shoe having a bottom comprising an insole, an inturned upper margin secured in overlasted relation to the insole, and an outsole secured to the overlasted upper margins by a band of hardened cement, the shoe bottom being rendered flexible by having a plurality of transverse interior channels formed therein, said channels extending into said upper margin and into said band of sole-attaching cement.

16. A shoe having a bottom comprising an insole, an outsole, and an upper margin inturned between said soles and secured in overlasted relation to the insole by a band of hardened lasting cement, the shoe bottom being rendered flexible by having a plurality of transverse interior channels formed therein, said channels extending into the insole and through said band or lasting cement and through the inturned upper margin.

1'7. A shoe having a bottom comprising a. skeleton insole having an opening in its forepart, an inturned upper margin secured in overlasted relation to the insole by a band of hardened lasting cement, and an outsole secured to said overlasted upper margin by a band of hardened sole-attaching cement, the shoe bottom being rendered flexible by having a plurality of transverse interior channels formed therein, said channels extending across the forward portions of the insole at opposite sides of its forepart opening and interrupting the continuity of the inturned upper margin and the bands of lasting and soleattaching cement.

18. A shoe having a bottom comprising a full insole, an inturned upper margin secured in overlasted relation to the insole and a stripe of hardened lasting cement, and an outsole secured to said, overlasted upper margin by a stripe of hardened sole-attaching cement, the shoe bottom being rendered flexible by having a plurality of transverse cuts formed therein, said cuts extending across the forepart of the insole and through the overlasted upper margin and disrupting said stripes of lasting and sole-attaching cement.

19. That improvement in methods of making shoes which consists in securing the marginal portion of a shoe upper in overlasted position upon an insole member, and thereafter forming a plurality of transverse slots extending entirely through said marginal portion of the upper at opposite sides of the ball of the shoe.

20. That improvement in methods of making shoes which consists in securing the marginal portion of a shoe upper in overlasted position upon an insole member, and thereafter forming a plurality of transverse slots extending through said marginal portion of the upper at opposite sides of the ball of the shoe and penetrating a substantial distance into the substance of the insole member.

PETER BARONI.

SANTE BARONI. 

